Scotland Decides
Towards a national convention
Regardless of where our sympathies may lie in the Scottish independence debate, it must be clear to most of us that the political system is not providing us with what we need. The problem is not unique to us here in Scotland, it affects democracies around the world, but it has particular prevalence in the light of the independence referendum and the subsequent refusal of the UK government to allow any further demonstration of self-determination.
The problem lies much deeper than just another independence referendum. No matter how much many of us want to secure the right of Holyrood to call a referendum whenever it likes, the structure of devolution and Holyrood’s very existence relies solely on decisions taken in Westminster. But the very fact of devolution, despite its deficiencies shows up far more than one simple decision – we do not have the ability to question aspects of life here and our ability to examine how we want our country to function. We need to design the state we want to live in and that work has to be from the ground up. This has been brought into sharp focus because of devolution and we are beginning to understand that we have the ability as a nation to do something about it.
It is against this background that we are more critically aware of the failings of the political system and of our elected officials. The worst thing about these failings seems to be the increasing inability to do anything about the problems we face except, apparently, to make things worse. It seems that nothing is going to change, either. The two main parties in the UK are now indistinguishable and all that happens after an election is that the labels change, nothing else. Here in Scotland, we can do better.
Today, all the talk seems to be about holding a convention. Several plans are being discussed and, while they may differ in aspects, they have one thing in common – there is no room for public involvement. It’s all down to the great and the good, just as it always has been. But it is what the public are experiencing in their day to day lives that is most pressing and they need a voice which transcends party politics. This is what the Scotland Decides project is about.
In its simplest description, we are a digital electorate. Every person resident in Scotland and over the age of sixteen is eligible to register. Upon registration all personal information is taken offline and a unique registration number is issued. This should be kept safe and not shared with anyone. It can be used for opinion polling but its main purpose is for voting. Voting itself takes place on a blockchain platform via an app. which each voter will be asked to download. Full instructions on using the app. will be supplied. If you are registered and happen to be out of the country for business or holiday, you may access the information and vote using the app. in the same way as if you were in the country. It works anywhere in the world.
What this means in practice is that we can hold a referendum on any subject unobstructed and as often as we like. This platform has been two years in development and is fully verifiable both nationally and internationally. It is open to independent assessment and its component parts have already been tested and used, even for a general election. The votes take only 48 hours and results are instant. It is even possible to provide a full breakdown of voting on a regional basis if required.
We support the calling of a convention. Given that a general election will almost certainly happen in 2024, the need to have a convention formally constituted ideally six months before the election date is paramount. Our view is that any convention will be wide-ranging and would last at least two years. The subjects discussed will be on issues such as the constitution, form of government, housing, education, defence, the environment, energy, public ownership, international relations, currency and, no doubt other things too. Each topic would be subject to a resolution, passed by the convention and then put to a national vote.
As for the composition of the convention, while we would seek to take part in any convention and would always put the business of it into the public realm, including holding votes, it would be best for the convention to be composed of the following:
MPs. In particular the 59 MPs in Westminster. There’s no need to formally remove them from the UK parliament just as long as they take the time to attend meetings of the convention. After all, it’s not as if they doing anything else useful, they might as well take the time to listen to their constituents.
Civic society. This is quite a wide-ranging group of such as NGOs, Scottish-based charities, the STUC, COSLA, religious organisations, professional bodies and the legal profession. To control numbers, it may be necessary to form representative groups but that needs to be assessed.
The people. We suggest that they be represented by delegates elected from each of the eight list regions currently used in Holyrood elections.
This last point brings us back to what we provide.
First of all, we are using the eight list regions with an admin for each region. The reason for this is because we need to be able to divide the voting areas according to current boundaries for the purpose of local assemblies and community councils (another subject for another day). We are proposing that ten delegates from each list area are elected. Their purpose is to present the views of the public they represent. We are developing a members’ area on our website to which membership is free to both individuals and organisations. The members’ area provides a platform for discussion and the proposal of initiatives. (More information about how it works will be in the members section).
We have planned for live stream video coverage with a catch up service. Questions may be asked, passed through the admins and either answered directly or passed to the delegates to be raised at the convention. We also provide access to an extensive information database, details will be made available on the website.
Resolutions would only be passed subject to a majority vote of the people.
For this to work, we require as many of the total electorate to register as possible. This is your platform. It is for the people to use and is open to everyone. Each nationwide vote is a verifiable majority. We do not need to ask for permission.
One final note. We ask for a £2.00 registration fee. This is the only charge we will make. No further request for payment will be made. You will be asked to confirm registration annually by email. Failure to reply will result in your registration being cancelled. The registration fee is requested in order to ensure the independence of the platform – we will not be beholden to or pressured by any interest or organisation.
This is your chance to be involved in designing the country you want to live in. This belongs to you, under your control, no one else’s.
Thank you.
Comments